QUEENS, N.Y. (Oct. 12, 2026) – Sophomore Anouk Oderkerk (Stenungsund, Sweden / Nösnäsgymnasiet) of the Thomas Jefferson University women's tennis team captured the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) East Regional singles championship on Monday, capping off an impressive tournament run with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Chestnut Hill College's Fabienne Lahn in the championship match.

Entering the tournament as the top seed, Oderkerk, Jefferson's top singles player, lived up to her billing and potential throughout the tournament, navigating a competitive field to claim the regional crown and secure a berth in the NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Singles Championship. She did so without dropping a single set over five matches. Oderkerk's path to the title included several impressive victories over opponents from Queens College. She defeated Johanne Genestay, 6-1, 6-3, in the round of 32 before dispatching Elise Bosmans, 6-3, 6-0, in the round of 16.

The sophomore Ram continued her run through the draw and eventually met Queens' Sixtine Goubet, who closed the 2026 spring season as the top regional player, in the semifinals. Oderkerk prevailed in a tightly contested 6-4, 7-5 decision to advance to Monday's championship match.

Awaiting her in the final was Lahn, who had put together something of a Cinderella run, defeating five seeded opponents en route to the championship. Oderkerk took control of the opening set, winning 6-2, before holding off a stronger challenge from Lahn in the second set to clinch the title with a 7-5 victory.

Next up for the talented sophomore: the inaugural ITA Division II Singles & Doubles Championships, set to take place from November 4-8, 2026, at the Tuscaloosa Tennis Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

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